Gumming mechanism for envelope machines



June 5, 1934. NOVICK 1,961,162

GUMMING MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES Filed Deo. 5. 1950 4Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Abraham-Nowak BY /Zlm' ,QAM

A TTORNEYS 5, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR Abra/7am /l/ov/c/f.

@ai CV- w ATTORNEYS June 5, 1934.

A. NovlcK GUMMING MEGHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES Filed Deo June 5,1934. A- NQVICK 1,961,162

GUMMING MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1930 y 4sneetsheet 's 4INVENTOR Abm/7am /Vowc/f.

.lune 5, 1934. A. NovlcK 1,961,162

GUMMING MECHANSM FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES I Filed Dec. 5, 1930 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Illl.

l//l/l/JJ A TTORNE Y6 Patented June 5, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEGUMMING MECHANISM FOB ENVELOPE MACHINES Application December 5, 1930,Serial No. 500,322

'l Claims.

This invention relates to envelope making machinery, and moreparticularly to gumming mechanism thereof.

In mechanism of this character it is the practice to feed the envelopeblanks in definitely timed relation past a gumming station and toprovide at said station one or more members for transferring gum from agum supplying element and applying it to the blanks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide in a mechanism ofthis character means controlled by the blanks themselves for alteringthe path of the gum `transferring element when a gap occurs in theseries of blanks to cause the transferring elements to escape engagementboth with the blank feeding mechanism and with the gum supplyingelement.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a gum transferringelement movable continuously in a rotary path and to retract vthe activesurface of such element toward the axis of rotation when a gap occursinthe series of envelope blanks.

It is a further object of the invention to provide control means for thegumming mechanism comprising a feeler, so contrived that the feeler f ispermitted to move into intersecting relation to the path of blankfeeding only at times that a blank will normally be in a position tointer- 30 cept it in such movement.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings forming part of this specication:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, plan view of an envelope machine embodyingfeatures of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, side elevation, partly in section, and partlybroken away, of the 40 mechanism illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail, sectional elevation showing one of the gumapplying elements in the act of gumming a blank;

Figure 4 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, transverse, vertical, sectional elevationshowing the gum applying members in the'act of applying gum to a blank;

Figure 6 is a detail View showing the manner of mounting and adjustingthe gum applying mechanism;

Figure 'I is a sectional, detail View;

`Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7, lookingin the direction of the arrows and showing the parts assembled;

(ci. eis-ss) Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of Figure5, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 10 is a view generally similar to Figure 5, showing the gumapplying members retracted;

Figure 11 is a detail elevation of a part of the mechanism that controlsretraction of the gum applying members;

Figures 12, 13, 14 and 15 are sectional, detail views showing certainparts of the control mechanism in various relationships which theyassume in operation.

The machine comprises a frame 1, a scoring mechanism 2, a side fiapfolding mechanism 3, creasing rollers 3a, and gumming mechanism 4. 70 Italso comprises various parts, not shown, for taking the blanks singlyfrom a stack in definitely timed relation, feeding them forward, gummingthe sealing flaps, drying the gum, and then presenting the blanks to amultiplicity of feed rollers 5 and 5a which feed the blanks indefinitely spaced relation past the scoring, side nap folding,andgumming mechanisms 2, 3 andV 4. A feed roller 6 supports the blanksin direct opposition to the gum applying means, being driven throughsuitable bevel gears 6a and 6b. The gumming mechanism is designed toapply gum along marginal portions of the folded in side flaps 'I of ablank 8, so that when the bottom flap 9 is subsequently folded overagainst the side flaps, it will 85 adhere to them.

The gumming mechanism comprises a container 10a, a roll 10b runningtherein, and a gum supply roll 10 that runs in engagement with the roll10b. A pair of gum transferring blades l1 are adjustably mounted on ashaft 12 by means of set screws 13. The shaft l2 is adapted for rotationto carry the gum applying members 1l succes' sively against the gumsupply roll l0 and the work. The shaft 12 is constantly rotated at a 95uniform rotary speed, but provision is made for shifting it withreference to its axis of rotation so as to draw the active surfaces ofthe gum applying members 11 inward toward such axis of rotation wheneverit develops that an envelope blank 100 is missing in the normally evenlyspaced train of blanks passing through the machine. Such shifting of theshaft causes the gum applying members 11 to escape engagement withthegum supply roll l0 and with the work, but the arrange- 105 ment is suchthat the gum applying members 11 are restored after one cycle to normalcondition unless it develops that two or more blanks in succession aremissing. Provision is also made for adjusting the supports of shaft 12to cause 110 the gum applying members 11, when in normal position, tocoact properly with the roll 10 and the work.

Referring primarily to Figures 5 and 10, it will be observed that theshaft 12 is provided at its left hand end with a hub 14. This hubextends outward for a Vconsiderable distance transversely of the shaftand is hinged at one end thereof by means of hinge pins 15 to a gear 16.The gear 16 is provided with a bearing sleeve 17 which is journaled upona stationary shaft 18. 'I'he sleeve 17 is held on the shaft 18 between acollar 19 formed on the shaft and a plate 20 held against an end of theshaft by a screw or bolt 21. The shaft 18 has an offset extension 22 atthe left hand end thereof, this extension being cylindrical buteccentric with relation to that portion of the shaft 18 on which thegear sleeve 17 is journaled. The eccentric portion 22 of the shaft issupported by a clamping bracket 23 carried by the machine frame, and isheld fixed therein by means of clamping nuts 24 and lock nuts25. Theouter end of the shaft 18 is provided with a handle 26 fil whereby theshaft may be rotated when the pressure of the clamping bracket 23 isrelieved to shift the axis of the shaft 18 upor down, as desired, sothat the gum applying elements 11 will coact properly with the gumsupply roll 10 and the work when the shaft 12 is in the normal positionillustrated in Figure 5.

At the right hand end of shaft 12 provision is made of a hub portion 27in the form of a yoke having an abutment or block 28 provided at one endof the yoke. The hub portion 27 embraces and is slidable upon asupporting block 29, being normally held with the block 28 in engagementwith one end of the block 29 by tension vsprings 30 which connect theblock 28 with pins 31 carried by the block 29. The block 29 carrieswithin it a dog 32 which is pivotally supported on a pin 33 which isnormally maintained in -the position illustrated in Figure 5 by reasonof the normal relationship of the blocks 28 and 29 maintained by thesprings 30. The dog 32 is provided with a toe portion 34 which engagesan inner surface of the shaft\12 and with a heel portion 35 whichengages a plunger 36. As will presently appear, the plunger 36 isadapted to be thrust toward the left, as viewed in Figure 5, against theforce of a compression spring 37 to swing the dog 32 clockwise so thatthe gum applying surfaces of the members 11 will be carried inward bythe shaft 12 toward the axis of rotation, that is to say, toward theprolongation of the axis of sleeve 17.

The block 29 includes a sleeve portion 38 in which the plunger 36 isslidable and in which the spring 37 is contained. The sleeve 38 isrotatable in a bearing sleeve 39 and is eccentrically mounted therein.The bearing sleeve is itself mounted with capacity for rotativeadjustment in av cylindrical bearing 40 of a frame member 41. The sleeve38 is provided at the right hand end thereof with a crank 42 having `anarcuate slot 43 formed therein, which slot is concentric with the axisof the sleeve 38. 'Ihe crank 42 is adapted to be held in variousadjusted positions by clamping it against the machine frame by means ofa clamping bolt 44 that passes through the slot 43 and is threaded intothe frame. Adjustments of the eccentric supporting bearings 18 and 39 atopposite ends of the shaft are ordinarily concurrently made andadjustment of the gum applying members 11 circumferentially of the shaft12 may be concurrently made, if it is found that the gum applyingmembers have been substantially displaced by the bearing adiustments.

The mechanism for controlling the plunger 36 and the dog 32 comprises arock shaft 45 that extends transversely across the machine below thepath of the work, a feeler finger 46 fast on the rock shaft and forminga crank thereon, and an arm 47 which is also fast lon the rock shaft andwhich is provided with an abutment finger 48. The finger 48 desirablyextends substantially at right angles to the plane of rotation of thearm 47. 'I'he finger 46 and the arm 47 extend in opposite directionsfrom the rock shaft, and the arm overbalances the finger (or may becaused to do so by a spring) so that the tendency is to swing the finger46 upward through the path of blank travel. When no blank is present,the finger 46 may move higher than the plane in which the blanks travel,but whenever a blank is present in position to be engaged by the ngerthe finger will be caused by the blank to come to rest in a positionbelow but touching said plane. The finger may thus be effective tocontrol the position of the abutment finger 48 of the arm 47.

The position of the abutment finger 48 is utilized to control the gumapplying members 11. A vertical shaft 49 journaled in bearings 50 and 51on the machine frame is provided with an upper crank 52 and a lowercrank 53, both fast on the shaft. A tension spring 54 connected to atail portion 55 of the crank 52 normally tends to pull the crank towardthe left hand side of the machine, or in other words, in a clockwisedirection, as viewed in Figure 4. An adjustable screw 56 carried by thecrank 52 bears against the end of plunger 36 and tends to force theplunger toward the left.

The crank 52 has fixed thereon an abutment block 57 for coaction withthe abutment finger 48. The crank 53 is provided with a cam follower 59which rides upon a face cam 60 carried by a shaft 61 that is driven inunison with the gear 16. The cam 60 includes a raised portion 62 which,once in each revolution of the cam, passes beneath the cam follower 59and rocks the shaft 49, and hence the crank 52 in a counterclockwisedirection, as viewed in Figure 4. This carries the abutment block 57clear of the abutment flnser 48,' as seen in Figures 12 and 14, so thatthe finger 48 is free to seek a level determined by the presence orabsence of a blank in position to be engaged by the finger 46. While thecam follower 59 is in engagement with the raised portion 62 of the cam,the finger 46 comes to rest either in a position above the plane ofblank feeding, if no blank is present for gaging, or in contact with theplane of blank feeding, if a blank is present for gaging. In the formercase the abutment finger 48 is caused to occupy a relatively lowposition with relation to the abutment block 57, as illustrated inFigure 14, while in the latter case the abutment finger V48 is caused tooccupy a relatively elevated position with relation to the abutmentblock 57, as illustrated in Figures 12 and 13. As soon as the raisedportion 62 of the cam 60 passesfrom beneath the cam follower 59, the

spring 54`draws the crank 52 in a clockwise difurther 'movement of theabutment block, and

consequently of the crank 52, is prevented by the um mammalian abutmentfinger. When this occurs the crank 52 will be ineffective to thrust theplunger 36 farther inward than the position illustrated in Figure 5. Theshaft 12 will not, therefore, be rocked above the pivot pins 15, butwill remain concentric with the gear 16 and the bearing sleeve 38.During the ensuing cycle of the gum applying mechanism, therefore, thegum applying members 1l` will occupy positions like those illustrated infull and broken lines in Figure 5, and will be effective to receive gumfrom the gum supplying roll 10 and to apply it to the work.

After the point of the abutment finger 48 has become engaged in thenotch 63, the blank which has been responsible for such engagementpasses beyond the blank engaging portionof the finger 46 for gumming.This does not,however, produce any readjustment of the gum applyingmechanism, since the finger 48, being caught in the notch 63, cannotdrop down until the raised portion 62 of the cam 60 has again come intoposition totwithdraw the abutment block 57 from` engagement with theabutment finger 48.

When such withdrawal of the abutment block next occurs, .should itdevelop that there is no blank in position for gaglng, the abutmentfinger 48 will be caused to take up a position like that shown in Figure14. Upon the next inward movement of the abutment block 5'1, the gagefinger will be received in a slot 64 formed in the abutment block. Theinward travel of the abutment block will not be arrested by the abutmentflnger, and hence the crank 52 will be permitted to move in far enoughto actuate the plunger 36 andthe ,dog 32 to shift the shaft 12 to theposition illustrated in Figure 10 to render the gum transferring bladesineffective. The shaft will remain in this tilted condition to hold thegum applying members 11 retracted throughout substantially a completerevolution or until the raised portion 62 of the cam 60 again comesunder the cam follower 59.

It will be remembered that the abutment finger 48 was in a relativelylow position where it could enter the slot 64 because the gaging fingerwas in a position to extend across and above the plane of blank feeding.Since the gaging finger 46, if permitted to remain in this elevatedposition, might obstruct and mutilate the next oncoming blank andthereby force an interruption of the operation of the machine, provisionis made for immediately restoring the gaging linger to.a position belowthe plane of blank feeding. To

. this end the abutmentnger 48 is provided with an inclined cam surface65 adapted to engage an inclined cam surface 66 formed at the lowerentrance portion of the slot 64 so that the abutment finger is cammedupward to a position like that seen ,in Figure 15. The finger remains inthis position throughout the ensuing cycle or until the raised portion62 of the cam 60 next becomes effective, at which time the abutmentblock 57 again moves outward. It will be noted that in moving upward tothe position of Figure l5 the point of the abutment finger isnecessarily carwish to be confined to the embodiment shown, but what Idesire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an envelope machine, in combination, a gum supplying member, awork supporting member, gum applying means adapted for rotationcontiguously to both said members, a support for the gum applyingmea'ns, aligned rotary shafts -carrying said support, means operable toshift said support toward and from the common axis of said rotaryshafts, and means controlled by the work for controlling operation ofsaid shifting means.

2. In -an envelope machine, in combination, a gum supplying member, awork supporting member, gum applying means adapted for rotationcontiguously to both said members, a support for the gum applying means,aligned rotary shafts carrying said support, means operable to shift.

said support toward and from the common axis of said rotary shafts, andmeans for adjusting said rotary shafts to secure a desired normalrelation of the gum applying means to the gum supplying member and thework supporting member.

3. In an envelope ma'chine, in combination, a gum supplying member, awork supporting member, gum applying means adapted for rotationcontiguously to both said members, a support for the gum applying means,aligned rotary shafts carrying said support,rmeans operable to shiftsaid support toward and from the common axis of said rotary shafts,comprising a plunger extending axially through one of said shafts andmeans for moving the plunger in opposite directions axially of theshaft, and means controlled by the work for controlling the operation ofsaid plunger moving means.

4. In an envelope machine, in combination, a

gum supplying member, a work supporting member, gum applying means, asupport therefor, a pair of aligned rotary shafts carrying said support,said support being transversely pivoted upon one of said shafts, andmeans carried by the other shaft for rocking the support about suchpivot.

5. In an envelope machine, in combination,

gumming means normally operable in a path for engaging the work, meansfor feeding envelope blanks to the gumming means in definitely timedrelation thereto, a work controlled device having an abutment, ashifting vdevice for the gumming means including an abutment adapted tobe intercepted or permitted to pass by the first mentioned abutment,said first mentioned abutment being constrained to move in a pathsubstantially at right angles to the path of the second mentionedabutment.

6. In an envelope machine, in combination, gumming means normallyoperable in a path for engaging the work, means for feeding envelopeblanks to the gumming means in definitely timed relation thereto, a workcontrolled device having an abutment, a shifting device for the gummingmeans including an abutment adapted to be intercepted or permitted topass by the first mentioned abutment, said abutments being constructedto interlock to maintain the work controlled device with the workengaging portion thereof normally clear. `of the work path, and

means formoving the second mentioned abutment clear of the first once ineach cycle at a time when a blank s hould normally be in position to beengaged by the work engaging portion of the work controlled device.

thereof normally clear of the path of the blanks,

lmeans for positively moving the shifting device .to carry the secondmentioned abutment clear of the rst once in each cycle at a time when ablank would normally be in position to be engaged by the work engagingportion of the work controlled dev ice, and means for yieldingly movingthe shifting device in the reverse direction to reengage the abutments.

ABRAHAM NOVICK.

